Battery frame for a hearing aid



Aug. 12, 1941. w. J.F|ELD Erm.

BATTERY FRAME FOR A HEARING AID Filed March 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug, 12,- 1941. w. J. FIELD Em; 2,251,928

BATTERY FRAME FOR A HEAR-ING AID Filed March 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @wv/@gm described and dened in-the claims.

Patented Aug. 12, v1941 BATTERY FRAME FOR A HEARING AID William J. Field and Norman J. Quam, Minneapolis, Minn., .assgnors to Lectro Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a copartnership composed of William J. Field, Norman J. Quam, and Leland A. Watson Application March 6, 1939, Serial No. 260,080

(Cl. 13G-171) v 3 Claims.

Our invention relates to'improvements in battery frames and, more particularly, to a battery frame for holding the A and B batteries of a hearing aid.

` It is an object of this invention to provide an extremely simple and highly eillcient battery frame that will hold anA battery and a B battery in compact arrangement, whereby the same may be readily carried in the pocket of a garment or attached to a belt by means of a clip.

A further object of the invention is to providev a battery frame that is -very light in weight and in which the batteries may be quickly and easily removed and new ones substituted therefor.

A still further object o f the invention is to provide a. frame for the A and B batteries in-which either thereof may be removed from the frame simply by pulling or lifting the respective battery.

To the above end, `generally stated, the. invention consists of the novel devices and combinations. of devices, as well as the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views;

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing-a complete vacuum tube vhearing aid, with portions of the electric wires, that connect the several inthe A battery shown therein by means of broken lines; l

Fig. 2is a front end elevation of the battery frame with'the B battery separated therefrom;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the battery frame with the Ai battery 4show'n therein by means of broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a rear end elevationof the amplifier;

Fig. 5 is a left hand side elevation of the amplifier, as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view, partlyv in end elevation and partly in section, taken on the irregular line 6 5 of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 7 is a fragmental front elevation of th amplifier, with some parts broken away and sectioned on the line 1 1 of Fig. 5 to expose the volume control;

Figs. .8 and 9 are views. partly in plan and partly in section, taken, respectively, on the line 8 8 and 9 9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a rear end elevation of the battery frame with the B battery removed therefrom,

and also showing by means of full and broken lines, a pair of filler plates attached to the inner necessary to show the output circuit of the ampli-1 fier I3 except the sockets I8 vmounted in the side faces of the jaws of the clip that holds the B Y battery; and

Fig.- 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the amplifier as shown in'Fig. 4, with the vcover partly removed.

The improved hearing Vaid comprises three units to wit: an ear phone or receiver, an ampliiler, and a metallic battery frame, indicated, as

entireties, by the numerals I2, I3, and I4. The

various elements which gov to make up the amplier are contained'within a round box or case l5 having a removable cover I6 that is heldv thereon by a capping flange. On the yback of the amplifier I3, is a spring clip l1 for use in attaching said amplifier to a pocket or other part of a persons'clothing or to a belt.

For the purpose of this case, it' is not thought of said amplifier at the -top thereof. ,The 'ear phone I2 is connected to the output circuit by a pair of wires I9 having on their ends, at the amplier |3,' a plug 20,. the prongs of which are removably held in sockets I8 of the output circuit. The ange of the cover I6 is notched at 2l to aord working clearance for the sockets I8, during the application of said cover tothe the linger piece 28 and also permits the application of the cover I8 to the I5 or its removal therefrom.'

For the purpose of this case it is not thought necessary to show the diilerent elements that extends outwardly of a slot 21 that extends circumferentially in the side'of the cased! between the' sockets I8 and the lngeipiece 22. Obviously,the wheel 26 may be easily operated by the thumb. The flange of the cover I8 is notched at 2B to aiord .working clearance at the wheel 26 to permit the application of the cover I6 tothe case I5, or the removal of the same therefrom.

`tery 30 and a, B battery 3|.

In the face of the cover I6 isa grill-29 that `affords a sound passageway.

The source of the electrical energy for the amplier I3 is supplied thereto by an A bat- These batteries 30 and 3| are removably mounted in the frame -tact 35.

Pressed to the positive contact 35. The other two sockets 48 are terminals of the B battery and are connected by a pair of wires 50, indirectly to the spring projected contacts 46 through the eyelets 41- to which said wires are attached.

Four sockets 5| extend through anaperture in l the side of the case I5 at the bottom thereof,

partment 32. 'A yoke-like spring positive contact 35, within the compartment 32, is secured tothe (front end member of the frame I4 and insulated therefrom. .On the.bottom of the'compartment,

32 is a fibre plate 36 on which the A battery 30 rests in a horizontal position with its positive terminal in engagement with the spring con- 'Ihis spring contact 35 yieldingly presses the A battery" endwise towardl the rear end member of the compartment 32 and holds `the same with its negative terminal in engagement with t.1e contact 34.

The sides of the compartment 32 extend upnotches 31 that afford clearance for the ngers when gripping the sides of the ,A battery to llift the same from the compartment 32.

The clip 33. comprises a pair of flat spring jaws 38, which frictionally holdthe B battery clamped therebetween. These jaws, 38 are depending extensions of the sides of' the compartment 32 and extend the full. length thereof. The

, Jaws 38 are in slight downwardly converging rej lation and their lower longitudinal edge portions are curved slightly outwardly, as indicated at 39. Upper and lower fibre plates 40 are secured to f the bottom cf the compartment 32 between4 the jawsv 38 by eyelets 4|, which also secure the plate 36 on the bottom of the compartment 32.

Obviously, the curved lower edges 38 of the jaws 38, vfacilitate the insertion of the B battery 3| between the jaws-38 and thereby spring the same apart and place said jaws under-su'icient tension to frictionally hold said battery. The jaws 38 are capable of holding B batteries of' different lengths and widths. To adapt the jaws l 38 for'holdngl B batteries of different thickr l nesses, a fibre filler plate 42 may be secured ,to

the inner face of eikier one or both of the jaws shown; one by full lines andthe other by broken In'Fig. 10, two of the filler plates -42 are lines. These filler plates` 42 are secured to the i Jaws 38 by eyelets 43 which extend through holes l, 44 in the lower'corners of the jaws 38.

'I'he two contact plates 45 on thetop of the B battery, engage spring projected contacts 46 j mounted`for endwise sliding movement in eyelets j 41 secured to and extending transversely through the lower fibre plate 40. Apertures 48 are formed in the inner nbre plate 40 and the bottom of the compartment 32 to afford clearance for the inner endportions of the contacts 46.

Mounted in the front end of the compartment A securely hold batteries of different thicknesses.

32 are four `sockets 49, two of which are the terminals for lthe A battery and are connected, the one to the batteryframe I4 and the other 7,5

Two o these. sockets 5I are terminals for the fllam t'supply and the other two thereof are terminals for the plate supply. Both the laments and the plates are within the case I5, but are not shown. Wires 52 have on one side of their ends a plug 53 and on their other ends a plug 54, kwith the prongs of the first noted plug fitted into the sockets 48, and With the prongs on the last noted plug tted into the sockets 5I.. These wires connect the A battery 30 to the filaments supply and the B battery 3|v to the plates.

'I'he mounting of the switch finger pieces 22 and the wheel 26 on the perimeter of the ampli- It is well known that an amplifier is usually worn where the same can be covered by a piece of clothing. By mounting the finger piece 22, the wheel 26, and the plugs 28 and 53 on the perimeter of the amplifienthe face of said amplifier is left smooth, so that an overlying garment may fit smoothly thereover and is not held at an unnecessary distance from the body.

'I'he frameY I4 holds the two batteries in compact arrangement so that said frame and batteries may be easily carried in a pocket or other wise on the body, without causing the undue bulging of clothing therefrom. As heretofore stated, the clip 33 will hold batteries of various lengths and Widths by the use of one or more of the filler plates 42, and the jaws 38 will trical connections forv the A battery including.

a pair of contacts in the compartment with which the terminals of the A battery engage, one of said contacts being insulated from the frame and the other thereof being in contact therewith, one of said contacts being a spring, said frame also having a pair of spring metal jaws for engaging the sides of a rectilineal B battery inserted therebetween and held suspended at the under side of the bottom of the compartment, said jaws forming depending extensions of the sides of the compartment, vthe space between the jaws being unobstructed whereby the B battery may be inserted upwardly between the jaws, a pair of insulating members between the bottom of the compartment and the top of the B battery, and electrical connections for the B battery including a pair of contacts on the under side of the pair of insulating members constructed and arranged to be engaged by the terminals 'oi the B batteryand a pair of leads interposed between the pair of insulating members and attached one to each of the contacts' for the B battery.

2. The structure defined in claim l in which the compartment has ends, the upper portions o! which are segmental and extend substantially to the top of said A battery in the dmpartment, and in which the compartment has sides, the upper edges o!A which are substantially lin a horizontal plane that extends through the axis ot said A battery. the sides o! the compartment having intermediate iinser notches.

3. The structure deilned in claim 1 in which the length of the jaws corresponds to the length l5 the contactson the under side o! said pair of insulating members corresponds to the spacing of the contacts on said B battery, whereby when said B battery is inserted between the jaws with its minus and plus contacts in the same position as the co contacts on the vunder side of said pair of insulating members and 'with its ends aligned with the ends ofthe jaws, the contacts on said B battery will engage the contacts on the under side oi said pair of insulating mem@ be. WILLIAM J. FIELD. NORMAN J. QUAM. 

